This website uses tracking cookies and also third-party tracking cookies in order to send you targeted advertising and online services in line with your preferences. If you would like to know more or to disallow all or some cookies, click here. If you continue to navigate on this website you implicitly consent to the use of cookies.

About Moleskinerie

Moleskinerie Archive

Recent Posts

Moleskinerie is the official blog of Moleskine® and it is completely dedicated to you. It tells about your passions, youradventures, your experiences. Everythinag that involves your ideas and the way you express them on your notebooks.

Wil Lau

28/10/2005

"Prepping for the HK/Shanghai trip in Nov and I’ve decided to go with
the workhorse L2K. Versatile, holds a tone of ink and not too flashy
for customs.

If for any reason I end up returning without it, it’s probably the most "replacable" of pens in the current collection.

I am not so confident about the Visconti travelling ink pot. As
recommended, I’ve test filled the Lamy with water a few times without
incident. Tested one final time with ink and it worked great. It’s the
whole capping mecha that seems a bit unsecure. Wonder how cool it’ll
look when it’s wrapped in a Glad sandwich bag for insurance?

I’ve been thinking about buying a Lamy 2000 ever since I found out Neil Gaiman writes his books with one (I’m sure the pen makes the writer – if I write with one I’m sure to write the next American Gods).

I may have to break down and order one today =\

So let me see if I understand the subject. You took a Lamy 2000 on a plane with you loaded with ink and it didn’t turn into a great inky mess? That’s good to know. I have a little ceremony for draining my fountain pen (a Pilot Vanishing Point at the moment), wrapping it up with a bottle of Noodler’s Black, and then reloading it when I get to wherever I am going. On the plane itself I use a Sakura Gelly Roll.

I may have to experiment with a fountain pen on a plane myself to see what happens.

Don’t be scared. I’ve used Visconti inkpots since 1998, have two of them (one for black ink, one for blue), never had a problem or a leak. This includes international trips, domestic flights, a cruise or two, and travel in a car. I haven’t used a ziploc bag for “insurance” for years.

On pens, I always make sure that any fountain pen is completely full or completely empty before we get on a plane, and I never write in flight with a fountain pen. A couple of bad experiences convinced me that it’s ok to write in ballpoint or pencil once in a while. I do have a Parker Duofold that is supposed to be altitude-proof but I’m not willing to risk it.

Bill, I am gonna go in style and leave the ziplock where it belongs, home. As for writing with a FP, I think I’ve been lucky and never had an incident with s handful of C/Cs. The only piston that I’ve flown with is my OMAS Paragon. I am getting a strange feeling that C/C might be less affected by the change in pressure. O_o

Mike, imho, the L2K is one of the best writers out there. Considering it’s price, history, Bauhaus design, nib qualities, and filling mecha, it’s one of the sweetest moderns to be had (if you dig the subtle design). If you are seriously considering one and if you’re not already familiar with her, drop by Pam’s site and send her an email. Just google or visit oscarbraunpens.com. No affiliation. Just really like dealing with her and her fantastic prices.

Chris, give it twirl if you can find one at a pen show. It’s scary and fun at the same time. ^_^ Make sure you read the instructions carefully and hang on tight.

After starring at it all day at work, the travelling ink pot amazes me. Wonder what customs will think of this strange looking contraption. Visconti definitly has some kind of monopoly going.

I, too, have never had any problems with my C/C pens and ink while flying, and I’m a frequent long haul flyer. Though, like Bill, I don’t write with them inflight much.

Chris, I’ve been thinking about the inkpot for a while as well. After reading all the positive praise here, I might just have to break down and get one.

Wil/Bill, would the inkpot fit in the sleeve of a pen case (like the fairly standard two sleeve leather case with a flap over the top that lots of companies make), or is its diameter too large? Hmmm… if it’s too large, I wonder if it would fit in a small ciger case…

It seems a lot of people really like the 2000, and I’ve been considering it as my next pen purchase. In tracking down more information about it, I also came across the newish Lamy Studio, which has similar lines. I was leaning towards the 2000 on user reviews alone, but then I went down to a local department store pen counter (outrageous prices) to take a closer look before ordering online.

The 2000 was light. Really light. I’m used to a little more heft in a FP. And I’m not sure what I think about the little aluminum tab/cap flange thingies. The Studio (I like the black) felt good, looked good, and (the black, anyway) was half the price of the 2000. I didn’t have time for the counter girl to load them up so I could write with them, but I’m definitely going back before I make a decision.

One thing that interests me about both Lamy lines is the EF nib. Which nib do you guys use?

Ryan, I have the older Visconti inkpots, and I can get one in one side of a Lamy two-pen case. Putting a second one in makes things really tight and it’s hard to get either of them out. Been too long since I smoked cigars to say reliably whether a cigar case would work.

Mine usually ride either in a small leather envelope (like an old-fashioned bank bag) or in a special leather case that carries four pens and has a central compartment for refills (or inkpots). The latter case does have a special ink-absorbing lining for the inevitable pen mishaps.

Ryan, forgot to answer your last question. I use a medium nib Lamy Safari although it’s not my everyday pen any more. I tend to like Parkers with medium nibs, but I also use Hero pens in my Moleskines — the Heros are all Parker 75 and 51 knockoffs with Asian fine points, which is like an extrafine. I’ve got one Italic nib on a Parker Sonnet, and a KAWECO which says it’s a medium but sure looks broad to me.

At a pen show recently, I picked up a couple of Sailor Profit pens, which have nibs that write in four different widths, depending on how steep or shallow an angle to the paper you hold them. One is loaded with Noodler’s Firefly for highlighting copy as I edit, and I’m using the Sailor black cartridges that came with the pens in the other. When the cartridges run out, I’ll put the piston fill in the second Sailor and use the new Noodler’s Luxury Permanent Blue (nice flourescent blue!) in it.

Ryan, the V. ink pot is pretty beefy and it has about the same diameter as my Delta Dolce Vita large size or the Conway Stewart Churchill. It’s a real tight fit in my Piquadro single leather case.

As for my L2K, it’s a fine nib that writes more like a medium. Very wet and generous ink flow. Many believe that Lamy nibs tend to run on the wide side.

I currently have my eye out for a Venlo 5 pen leather case. I think it’d be perfect to carry 4 of my favourite writing instruments + travelling ink pot. Too bad about the hefty price tag though. Yeeps, at $200, that’s a new pen right there.

I have both Visconti portable traveler ink pots (inkwells). The old version has a lower filling section and a reserve, and a top portion for wipes and ink pellets. The newer version is smaller and narrower than the older version. The older version has a leather tube which slides over the pot. The newer version does not work well with some fountain pens with narrow or non-circular barrels, like my silver Waterman (I use with blue ink) but works fine with my red-barrel Lamy Safari (I use with red ink). I’d like to purchase another of the older version, if only I could find one; I really, really like it best.

I just received my new L2K and it is the smoothest writer i have ever used. I love the weight. The perfect balance between form and function. I highly recommend it. I got the fine tip and other reviewers are correct in their assessment that it is wider than a normal fine.

I recently tried the Lamy Dialog 2 and found it too heavy for normal use. Very cool design though.